The best April Fools' Day pranks so far
It’s April Fools’ Day, a day pranksters around the world try their best to fool those of us who didn’t pay attention to the date on their calendars. And, as has been the case in recent years, many tech and media companies took part in the trickery Wednesday — with some jokes more inspired than others.
Search engine Google kicked off the annual day of high jinks by reversing its page.
Google Maps allowed visitors in major cities to play “Pac-Man” with its maps.
Online retailer Amazon.com replaced its homepage with a 1999 version.
Microsoft also went retro, announcing MS-DOS technology for its smartphones.
Uber, the app-based transportation network, launched a UberHorse, an “on-demand equine” service in New York City.
“For one month only, every New Yorker with the Uber app can traverse our city’s streets on the back of their own trusty steed,” a note on Uberhorse.nyc reads. “Have we cleared this with the city? Absolutely not. Do we care? No. We’re Uber, we have more money than we know what to do with.”
Groupon, meanwhile, unveiled the Uber-like Grøüber, a “revolutionary car service that connects you with a cat driver.” The faux company’s tagline: “The future is meow.”
PlayStation rolled out PlayStation Flow, wearable underwater technology “to take gaming out of the living room and into the swimming pool.”
Miz Mooz, a New York City women’s shoe designer, advertised the latest addition to its shoe line: Selfie Shoes.
Speaking of selfies, Petco unleashed selfie sticks for dogs.
Singer Sam Smith informed his 2.45 million Twitter followers he was heterosexual.
Guys I have some news... I'm straight
— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) April 1, 2015
April fools 😂
— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) April 1, 2015
Pizza Hut U.K. unveiled “scratch-and-sniff” menus.
At the University of Cambridge, resident prankster Paul Coxon put a note outside a door informing students and faculty that the building access system had been upgraded to include voice recognition.
So many people are falling for this :D #AprilFools pic.twitter.com/kUo6o7obYw
— Dr Paul Coxon (@paulcoxon) April 1, 2015
People are shouting at doors. Cambridge University eh... best brains in the world :D
— Dr Paul Coxon (@paulcoxon) April 1, 2015
I do it every year and people STILL fall for it. Our office is in stitches :D
— Dr Paul Coxon (@paulcoxon) April 1, 2015
CERN, the European Council for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, announced that researchers in Geneva had confirmed the existence of "the Force."
“The Force is what gives a particle physicist his powers,” theorist Ben Kenobi said in its fake press release. “It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us; and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.”
Innocent Drinks, a London-based beverage manufacturer, went with a simpler April Fools’ prank.
We've replaced the inside of Oreos with toothpaste and put them in our kitchen. Now we play the waiting game. pic.twitter.com/OJBLxLo9DZ
— innocent drinks (@innocent) April 1, 2015